Take a look inside to help your skin on the outside

August 21, 2012 by Works with Water

When you look to the red carpet, the celebrities’ complexions appear radiant and luminous.

While they have the world’s best dermatologists on hand, it’s also because they consider their inner health, too. I know we are always harping on about “help: your skin from within” as our own products help: clear skin and help: revitalise my skin work from the inside to combat skin blemishes and the signs of ageing skin – but it is true, some of what we eat can cause problems for our skin health.

“Your skin is the window to your inner health, and when your body is in poor shape, your skin is the first place it shows,”

says Dr Darrell Rigel, clinical professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center.

“If the digestive function and health of our organs are struggling to absorb and eliminate food, it will most certainly show up on your skin,”

For example, breakouts in your chin area are linked to a hormonal imbalance, pimples on your forehead can be connected to sluggish digestion, while breakouts around your neck and chest are likely to be from stress, she reveals.

To keep your skin looking soft and supple, Boelskov recommends a balanced diet that includes plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, zinc and omega fatty acids. Antioxidants work to neutralise skin-harming elements and can help to prevent wrinkles, resist infection, and keep your complexion fresh and clear.

Boelskov also cites zinc as an essential mineral in healing the skin, as it’s excellent for the prevention of acne scarring. Finally, she suggests increasing your consumption of omega-3 and omega-6, which are found in wild ocean fish, chia seeds and walnuts.

These good fats help maintain skin elasticity and suppleness. And what you exclude from your diet is just as important as what you add. She advises cutting back on processed sugars, alcohol and saturated fats, which can deplete natural vitamin reserves and contribute to breakouts, premature ageing and hormone imbalance.

And to help soothe your digestive system, Boelskov suggests a daily probiotic.